Silo door and ladder structure



March 20, 1934. c. A. NEPRUD 'SILO DOOR AND LADDER STRUCTURE CZrZA JVZjurazcZ.

Filed June 2Q. 1932 INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEYS WITNESS:

Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES oFFIcE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in a silo door and ladder structure, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which Will I be highly efi'icient in use and economical in manufacture.

Objects of this invention are: to provide a simple, and relatively inexpensive, silo door and ladder unit structure which may be installed on any of the various types of silos in use, such as silos made of concrete, concrete blocks, wood staves, tile, etc; to provide a novel door and ladder unit embodying a ladder rung and means cooperating therewith in a novel manner to clamp the door in door-closing position.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a conventional form of silo showing my improved door and lad- 25 der structure associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view on line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of my improved units as seen from the outer side thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same as seen from the inner side.

In the drawing, which illustrates a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, generally indicates a conventional form of silo, which may be made of any of the materials commonly used in building silos, such as concrete, concrete blocks, tile, wood staves, etc., since the silo itself forms no part of this invention. The silo 10 may be provided with a continuous vertical door opening 11, as shown, or with a series of spaced vertical door openings.

In practising my invention I provide a door and. ladder unit generally indicated at 12. The specific manner in which this unit is shown mounted in the door opening 11 in the silo may be varied in accordance with the type of silo with which the unit 12 is used and it is to be understood that the manner in which the unit 12 is shown mounted in the silo door opening 11 is merely illustrative of the invention and not limitative thereof. However, in the typical manner 55;shown for practising the invention I provide as a (Cl. 2i)1.4)

part of each unit 12 a substantially rectangular frame 13. These frames may be fitted into the silo wall as shown or they may be attached to the silo wall in any other suitable manner than that shown.

In each frame 13 is a vertical silo door opening 14 and each unit 12 includes a door 15 that is hinged as at 15 to the frame on the inner side of the silo, to close the door opening 14. These doors 15 are preferably made of a slightly resil-' a5: ient or sheet metal since I have found that ensilage does not adhere to these sheet metal doors 15 as much as it does to doors of other material, and that whatever ensilage doesadhere to these doors 15 may be readily separated therefrom.

The door 15 of each unit 12 is preferably made of slightly resilient metal becauseI find this resiliency useful in clamping the door tightly against the frame 12 by clamping means presently to be described.

To this end I attach to each door 15 on the outer side thereof spaced brackets 1'7, and supported by and extended between these brackets 17 is a shaft 18. Pivotally'mounted on each shaft18 is a clamping bolt or member 19. Each clamping bolt 19 carries an adjustable element or wing nut 20 and the bolt is adapted to be inserted into a cut-out portion or notch 21 formed in the bottom edge of a ladder rung member 22.

The ladder rung member 22 of each unit 12 has one end pivotally mounted on the outside of the silo by means of a bolt 23 which is carried by frame 13 and projects outwardly therefrom. This pivot bolt 23 is further supported by brackets 24. which have their inner ends attached to 903 the frame 13 and their outer ends attached to the outer end of bolt 23.

Attached to the frame 13 of each unit 12 on the outer side of the silo is a latch element 25 in which is provided a notch 25 to receive an end '5) portion of the ladder rung member 22. Mounted on the bolt 23 is a coil spring 27 which urges the ladder rung 22 outwardly away from the door 15. 5

As has been said, the frame 13 may be mounted in any suitable manner in a door opening in the silo 10. When thus mounted the door 15 of each unit 12 may be clamped tightly against the frame 13 by disposing the ladder rung 22 in the latch notch 26, then disposing the bolt 19 in the cutout or notch 21 in the ladder rung 22; and then tightening the adjustable element or wing nut 20 against the ladder rung 22 whereby the spring 27 is compressed and the door 15 is drawn tightly against the frame 13. The resiliency of the door 15 enables it to be drawn tightly against the frame 13 by means of the clamping bolt 19 and nut 20. The pressure of the ensilage in the silo against this slightly resilient door 15 further forces the same tightly against frame 13'.

When the unit 12 is thus disposed (position A of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4) the ladder rungs 22 provide a ladder for use in climbing up and down and into and out of the silo. After the silo has been filled the pressure of the ensilage against the doors 15 will keep them closed and the wing nuts 20 may then be loosened and the bolts 19 dropped down (position B, Fig. 1) so as not to interfere with the hands or feet of a person climbing up or down the ladder.

When the ensilage is to be taken out of the silo the ladder element 22 may be lifted up out of the latch notch 26, pulled laterally away from the latch arm 25 so as to pass the outer end 28 thereof (this movement compressing the spring 27) and then dropped down (position B, Fig. 1) so as to be out of the way when the ensilage in the silo back of a particular door. 15 is to be taken out or pitched out through the opening 14 in the frame The frame 13 may be dispensed with and the door 15 may then be hinged directly to the wall of the silo on the inner side thereof so as to close a door opening in the silo. In this form of construction the latch arm 25, bolt 23 and brackets 24 may then be mounted in the silo wall so as to project from the outer side thereof, and the parts may then be operated exactly as hereinbefore described. When thus mounted the sheet metal doors 15 being very thin do not interfere with the settling of the ensilage in the silo, nor cause any air pockets to form therein to cause decay and spoiling of the ensilage.

As is readily seen, no particular tools are required to install my improved door and ladder structure hereinbefore described, since the same may be readily mounted in a frame 13, as shown, or mounted directly on the silo wall without the use of any special tools.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my in- I vention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A silo door and ladder unit, comprising a frame having a door opening formed therein, a door hingedly mounted on the inner side of said frame, a keeper mounted on the outer side of said frame, a ladder rung member, means for pivotally mounting one end of said rung member for swinging movement in a vertical plane, said rung member being latachable at its other end to said keeper, and having a notch formed in an edge thereof between its ends, a clamping bolt pivotally mounted at its inner end on said door and having its outer end portion projectible into said notch, and a clamping nut on the outer end portion of said bolt for bearing reaction against said rung member.

2. A silo door and ladder unit, comprising a frame having a door opening formed therein, a door hingedly mounted on the inner side of said frame, a keeper mounted on the outer side of said frame, a ladder rung member, means for pivotally mounting one end of said rung member for swinging movement in a vertical plane, said rung member being latchable-at its other end to said keeper, and having a notch formed in an edge thereof between its ends, a clamping bolt pivotally mounted at its inner end on said .door and having its outer end portion projectible. into said notch, a clamping nut on the outer end por-. tion of said bolt for bearing reaction against said rung member,v and a spring mounted on. said means urging said rung member horizontally away from said door.

" CARL A. NEPRUD. 

